Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
AK
NORTH AMERICA -
NUMBER OF HUTTERITE
COLONIES, 2011
YT
Over 60
NT
NU
31 to 60
1 to 30
No Hutterite Colonies
HUDSON
BAY
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
ALBERTA
MANITOBA
SASKATCHEWAN
ON
PACIFIC
OCEAN
WASHINGTON
NORTH
DAKOTA
MONTANA
MI
MINNESOTA
OREGON
WI
SOUTH
DAKOTA
ID
WY
CA
IA
0
250
500 Kilometers
NE
IL
0
125
250 Miles
NV
UT
CO
MO
KS
Figure 4.5
Hutterite Colonies in North America.
Data from:
www.hutterites.org, last accessed 16 August 2011.
Hutterite religion. Members of the colony join together
every night for a 30-minute service as well as on Sundays.
The most prominent position in a colony is held by the
minister, who speaks in archaic German, reading sermons
written in the sixteenth century.
Unlike the Amish, Hutterites readily accept tech-
nologies that help them in their agricultural pursuits.
Hutterite colonies were generally slow to accept technol-
ogies such as cameras and cell phones out of concern that
they would encourage individualistic behaviors or under-
mine the Hutterite religion. Today, it is relatively com-
mon for young adult Hutterites to use Internet dating
sites designed for their local culture to fi nd suitable mar-
riage partners in colonies in other states or countries.
Colonies assign separate jobs and tasks to men and
women, which reinforces a patriarchal social structure.
Kraybill and Bowman explain that marriages happen across
colonies, and women move to their husband's colony after
marrying. If a Hutterite woman from Alberta meets a
Hutterite man from North Dakota through an Internet
dating site, and they eventually decide to marry, the
Canadian woman will move to the United States. As a
result, a single colony is usually composed of only one or
two surnames. Moving to their husband's colony perpetu-
ates women's weak political position in the colony. Women
are expected to rear many children, averaging fi ve or six
currently, but the colony as a whole is responsible for rais-
ing and disciplining the child.
